Some occupations, such as automotive assembly line personnel, require workers to grip various tools and machinery with their hands. Some of these tools and machinery transmit to the hand regular periodic energy known as vibrations in addition to bursts of high amplitude energy known as shocks. The transfer of shock to the hand may be, for example, due to the recoil experienced when a tool is activated while the transfer of vibration will typically occur during the standard operation of the tool. Common tools which require a constant hand grip and transmit vibration and shock to the hand include pneumatic guns (e.g. air guns), rivet guns, power saws, and power drills.
Prolonged use of such tools and the resulting transfer of vibrations and shocks can make such tools more difficult to use and may result in damage to the hand. This is especially true of both the front and back of the thumb and the thenar section of the palm (i.e. the mound section of the palm just below the base of the thumb) which often receives the brunt of this energy. While cushions and pads have been employed in some gloves to reduce the transmission of mechanical energy to the hand, particular attention has been directed to the palm of the hand and not so much to the thumb region. Dampening this energy in the thumb region can greatly enhance user comfort and performance.
However, as the padding and protection of a typical glove construction increases, the dexterity and sensitivity of the user generally decrease. For example, simple tasks, such as picking-up and setting down the air gun may consume more time and other tasks may even demand removal of the glove. For air gun users in particular, a glove can hinder the dexterity and sensitivity of the trigger finger making the air gun more dangerous to use. Also, some gloves tend to slip on the grasping surface of the tool, especially under conditions of vibration and shock. When slippage is encountered, the operator is required to further exert the hand muscles to secure the vibrating tool leading to further strain and fatigue of the hand.
Hence, a need exists for hand gear designed for vibration dampening and shock absorption to the entire thumb region while not significantly hindering the dexterity and sensitivity of the hand.